Automatic railway signal system.



PATENTED NOV. 22, 1904.

J. W. EiHATTUCK.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 31, 1904.

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' PATENTED NOV; 22, 1904.

' J. W. SHATTUGK.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL SYSTEM.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 31, 1904.

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UNTTE' STATES Patented November 22, 1904.

ATENT @Trrcs.

JAMES W. SHATTUQK, OF HUTTON, INDIANA.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 775,479, dated November22, 1904:.

Application filed May 31, 1904. Serial No. 210,326. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WV. SHATTUOK, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Hutton, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic RailwaySignal Systems; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the charactersof reference marked thereon, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of railroad-signals whereby trainsmoving in either direction along the track will operate one set ofsignals ahead of said train, thereby giving notice in advance of itsapproach, while another signal located parallel to the first-mentionedset and upon the opposite side of the track will be operated by anapproaching train coming from the direction opposite to that of thefirst-mentioned train. Thus two trains approaching each other upon thesame track will give each other notice of their approachby automaticallyoperating their respective signal system a long way in advance.

This signal system is adapted for use upon straight-away tracks, butparticularly designed to warn conflicting trains approaching each otherupon sharp curves and at other similar dangerous and obstructed points,railway-crossings, &c.

The system comprises a double set of both light and semaphore signals,and consists of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in which Figure 1 is a plan of a railway-track laid in a curve andshowing the relative position of the signal system to the track. Fig. 2is an elevation of a track with my signal system mounted thereon. Fig. 3is a detail view of a signal-post and its attachments. Fig. 4 is adetail of a trip-lever and attachments. Fig. 5 is a detail view of aslack-adjuster.

Similar characters of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

The letter A indicates a section of a railway -track the difierent railsof which are designated for the purpose of definite explanation by theletters a and a.

The letters 6, 6, and 6 indicate strong metallic movable shafts whichare incased in tubular cases 0 for the purpose of protecting said shaftsfrom dirt, ice, and other obstructing matter. The shafts b, b, and b aremounted transversely of the track A at points distant one from the otherdepending upon the length of track to be protected by my signal systemand the location thereof. Said shafts are mounted upon suitablebearingblooks d, which are stationed below and outside of the rails ofthe track in such position that the shafts will lie below the uppersurface of and between adjacent ties. The two end shafts b and b areprovided with strong metallic trip-arms t, which are keyed or other wisefirmly attached to said shafts immediately inside the rail (0 and soclose thereto that the flange of a car-wheel running thereon will strikesaid trip-levers if they stand in an upright position and force themdown to a horizontal position below said wheel. Said shafts are coupledtogether, as hereinafter set forth, in such manner that when thetriplever of b is upright the trip-lever of b will lie horizontally, andvice versa.

Grooved wheels or pulleys 2, 3, and 4: are mounted upon the extreme orprojecting ends of the shafts b, 6', and b, respectively, outside of therail (0. A double-grooved wheel or pulley 5 is mounted upon the shaft 6just within the said wheel or pulley, upon the extreme end thereof, andasingle-grooved wheel or pulley 6 is mounted upon the shaft 6 justwithin the Wheel or pulley 4 thereon. One end of a strong cable or wire7 is attached to the pulley 2 and the other to one groove of pulley 5,While a similar cable or wire 8 is similarly attached to the othergroove of the pulley 5 and the pulley 6, respectively. At any desirednumber of intervals along said cables or wires 7 and 8 are stationedslack-adjusters 10, consisting of any suitable form of stand 11, theshaft 12, mounted upon said stand, the crank-arm 13, and the threadedswivel 14, as shown in Fig. 5, for the purpose of taking up slack andproperly stretching said cables or wires.

The letters 6 and 6 indicate signal-posts statloned adjacent to and inline with the pulleys 3 and 4, respectively, and which are provided eachwith a semaphore-signal arm 15, a pulley 16, mounted upon the tops ofsaid posts, and signal-lamps 17, mounted at the upper end of said postsand throwing their lights in the direction traveled by the trainoperating the same, as hereinafter set forth. Said lamps consist of anopen-faced box 18, within which any suitable and approved-lamp or lightis placed, and a movable hood 19, which is hinged to the top of the box18 and adapted when closed to cover the face of the box 18, andconsequently conceal the light therein. Cables or wires 20 are attachedto the hoods 19 and extend over the pulleys 16 upon the posts to thecorresponding pulleys near the base thereof, pulleys 3 and 1, to whichthey are attached, and cables or wires 21 are at tached one end to therear ends of the semaphore-arms 15 and the opposite ends to the cablesor wires 20, whereby they are actuated and in turn actuate or elevatethe semaphorearms 15. are connected up and so adjusted in the groovesupon their respective pulleys that the partial revolution of the initialpulleys will impart, through said cables or wires, a like revolution toall pulleys so connected, and consequently a pull upon the cables orwires connected with and adapted to actuate or elevate saidsemaphore-arms and upon the cables '01- wires adapted to open the hoodsof said lamps. A system of shafts, pulleys, cables, and signals similarto the one above described is mounted upon the opposite side of the saidtrack and is adjusted to operate in the opposite direction and to throwits-light in the direction opposite to that in which the aforesaidlights are thrown and adapted to be operated by the wheels of a trainmoving upon said track in the direction in which its said signal-lightsare thrown.

1n mounting my signal system along a railway-track the shafts bearingthe trip-arms are so adjusted that the trip-arm of the initial or firstshaft will stand perpendicular when normal and the trip-arm upon thelast shaft will lie horizontal, and the connecting-cables between saidshafts are so wound upon the respective pulleys that the depression ofone trip-arm will elevate the corresponding trip-arm at the opposite endof the system, and vice versa. Hence the depression of the normallyupright initial trip-arm by a moving train will raise the normallydepressed trip-arm at the opposite end of the system, which will be inturn depressed by the approaching train, thereby restoring the initialtrip-arm and the entire system to normal position after the train haspassed. It is apparent, therefore, that two trains approaching eachother from opposite directions upon a track equipped with my signal Thesaid various cables or wires system will operate their respective set ofsignals and warn each other of their approach; also it is apparent thatby simply providing a double set of signal-lamps and semaphoresignalsproperly adjusted upon posts at the intersection trains approaching eachother upon tracks at track-crossings may be similarl y warned one by theother. Ido not specify any one form of light to be utilized by mysystem, but reserve the right to use any suitable and approved form ormake of lamps or light, and it is apparent that a system of electriclamps may be adapted to my system by making minor alterations in thesame, and I reserve the right to make such minor alterations as may benecessary to adapt different forms of lights, both fuel and electric, tomy system, which may be made without departure from the generalprinciple of the invention. I

signals; but it is apparent that as many similar signals may beinstalled in the system as may be necessary to meet all requirements,which will vary with the nature of the track to be protected and thesurrounding land and other environment.

Having described my invention, its operation and purpose, what I claimas new and useful, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, 1S-

1. In an automatic railway signal system, the combination with the railsof a railwaytrack, of a drmble-signal system consisting of a double setof incased shafts b, b and b mounted transversely of the track andbearing triplevers 2, adapted to be operated by passing carwheels, thepulleys or grooved wheels 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, mounted upon said shafts,the cables 7 and 8 attached to the pulleys upon the shafts b, b and b,and adapted to transmit motion from one shaft to another, theslack-adjusters 1O stationed at intervals throughout the length of thecables 7 and 8, the posts 6 and e adjacent to the projecting ends of theshafts f) and b and provided with the lamps 17, semaphore-signal arms 15and the cables 20 and 21 connecting the lamps 17 and signal-arms 15 withthe pulleys 3 and 4, all substantially as described and for the purposeset forth.

2. In an automatic railway signal system,

double-signal system consisting of adouble set of shafts b, b and 6"mounted transversely of the track, the trip-levers I, mounted upon thetwo end shafts of each set, and adapted to operate, alternately, thecables 7 and 8, connecting said shafts and adapted to transmit motionfrom one shaft to another, the slackadjusters mounted at intervals alongsaid cables, the pulleys 2, 3, 4:, 5 and6 mounted upon the extremeprojecting ends of said shafts and adapted to actuate said cables? and8, signalposts a and 6 adjacent to and in line with the pulleys 3 and 4,respectively, the lamps 17 and signal-arms 15, mounted upon said posts,the

have described my system with but two sets of the combination of arailway-track, with the ICC IIO

cables 20 and 21 adapted to connect the said my ownIhave alfixed mysignature in the preslamps and signal-arms With the pulleys 3 and enceof two witnesses. 4: and to actuate the same, said two sets of signalsbeing adjusted to signal in opposite a 5 directions from each other, allsubstantially Witnesses:

as described and for the purpose set forth. GEORGE M. DAVIs, Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as JOHN S. JORDAN.

JAMES W. SHATTUCK.

